The present invention relates generally to planters for containing potted flowers, and more particularly to a flush-mounted pot holder configured to fit at the corner of a porch/deck railing for displaying flowers. Traditionally, planters for containing plants, particularly flowers grown from seedlings in soil, are of elongated box construction commonly attached to a dwelling frame structure, such as a window ledge, by fastening devices to provide a conventional "window box". Alternatively, planters are attached to porch/deck structures, such as railings, configured as elongated rectangular boxes adapted for growing plants in soil contained in said boxes. When filled with soil, these planters are heavy and require structurally strong brackets fastened by screw fasteners into the frame, are accordingly difficult to install, and will disfigure the frame with perforations associated with fastening the brackets. Such planters are installed in plain view and detract from the aesthetic appearance of the dwelling, particularly when the within contained plants are not in bloom.
It is also popular to place planters in interior spaces at home and in offices installed on partial-height walls. Typically, such boxes are placed on top of the partial wall and are held in place by brackets with the planter in plain view. One such device is covered by U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,876, to Grisberg, which is directed to a partition wall planter for mounting on the top of a partial height wall by bottom-mounted support brackets. This planter is positioned on top of the wall which is provided with decorative side panels. The support brackets are secured between the decorative panels and the partition wall frame to hold the planter in place on top of the wall, the walls of the planter being in plain view.
Applicant is also aware of related art in the field of the invention including U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,119 to Engel issued Oct. 17, 1978, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,084,414 to Eger issued Jan. 13, 1944, U.S. Pat. No. 986,395 to King issued Mar. 7, 1911, and to U.S. Pat. No. 2,316,384 to Abramson issued Apr. 13, 1943.
Ginsberg essentially is a triangular planter that may be attached to the corner on top of a partial wall, however, the Ginsberg planter does not have outwardly extending flanges for flush mounting the planter on the side of a partial wall or deck railing. The planter as disclosed by Eger, includes an outwardly extending flange for supporting a flower box on a deck railing being attached by brackets clamped to the railing, however, the planter is mounted on the outside of the railing in plain view, is not adapted for hanging on the inside corner of a railing, the flower box is intended to be conspicuously visible, and is of elongated, gutter type construction. King and Abramson both show containers which have vertical side panels configures to form substantially triangular receptacles, however they are not adapted for use in the corner of a porch railing. Engel discloses an elbow planter box including two trough-like receptacles for forming a continuous planter or a flower box of generally rectangular configuration. The provision for extending the length of a section of the planter by a splicer, and includes an elbow section, however, the Engel planter is adapted for containing plants planted in soil, and is not particularly adapted for containing pots, and includes two box like receptacles and has no integral means of fastening the planter to a structure.
While the above noted patents disclose devices for securing planters to half-walls, and railing and to provide a elbow feature for corner applications in a heretofore acceptable manner, the prior art devices lacked the desirable feature of concealment of the container and pots, and limiting the display to the blooms of plants arranged in the planters.
It is thus apparent that prior art lacks corner plant or devices for flower pots of triangular construction configured to be easily attached to in a flush-mounted manner to the inside portion of a porch railing corner segment, wherein the planter and the within-contained flower pots are obscured from view.